ISLAMABAD: In a significant move, 52 senators belonging to opposition as well as treasury have moved a joint resolution seeking disapproval of the controversial PIA ordinance.

The resolution was submitted to the Senate secretariat on Monday by Saeed Ghani, parliamentary leader of Pakistan People`s Party in the upper house of parliament, on behalf of all movers.

Talking to Dawn, Mr Ghani expressed the hope that the resolution would come on the Senate agenda in three to four days. He was also optimistic about approval of the resolution after which the ordinance would stand repealed.

The opposition would ensure presence of its maximum members in the house when the resolution came on the agenda, he said.

Besides the PPP, senators belonging to theMuttahida Qaumi Movement, Awami National Party, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Pakistan Muslim League-Q, Balochistan National Party-Awami, Jamaat-i-Islami and some independents have signed the resolution.

The members of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, a partner of the PML-N in the ruling coalition, have also put their signatures on the resolution.

It says: `This House disapproves the Ordinance titled the Pakistan International Airlines Corporation (Conversion) Ordinance, 2015.

The opposition`s move can create problems for the government which is in a minority in the 104-member house.

The resolution has been moved under Article 89(2) of the constitution, which allows the president to promulgate an ordinance with some restrictions. An ordinance `shall stand repealed at the expiration of 129 days from its promulgation or, if before the expiration of that period a resolution disapproving it is passed by either House, upon the passing of that resolution`, it states.

The provision was made part of the constitution through the unanimously passed historic 18th Amendment in 2010.

The PML-N`s Mushahidullah Khan, who is convener of the special committee of Senate on the PIA issue, agreed that the resolutioncould create problems for the government.

He said the government had already stated on a number of occasions that the PIA was not being privatised and only being converted into a company and that no employee would be sacked.

He expressed the hope that the issue would be resolved and the government would take the opposition into confidence before the resolution was tabled in a Senate session.

The government had laid the ordinance converting the PIAC (Pakistan International Airlines Corporation) into a company in the Senate on Dec 15. The ordinance was promulgated by President Mamnoon Hussain on Dec 5 despite the fact the government had already summoned a Senate session on Dec 8.

Soon after the tabling of ordinance by Federal Minister for Climate Change Zahid Hamid, the opposition members criticised the government for its alleged plan to privatise the national flag carrier.

They accused the government of `bypassing parliament and enacting laws through ordinances` The debate led to mudslinging between the PML-N and the PPP and leaders from both sides accused each other of plundering national wealth and minting money through corruption.